$3)e ErcaSttrg at SSataiij). 



164 



in form, with a glossy upper surface, and 

 covered with silvery adpressed pubescence 

 underneath. The flowers are in axillary 

 clusters, large, and rich scarlet. [A. A. B.] 



BRACHYSORUS. A name proposed for 

 a fern which proves to be Aspkniu/ti siilva- 

 ticum. [T.M.] 



BRACHYSTELMA. A genus of South 

 African Asclepiadacecv, containing several 

 species of under shrubs, with erect an- 

 nual stems and large perennial tuberous ' 

 roots. The calyx consists of Ave sepals; 

 the corolla is campanulate and five parted. 

 The staminal corona consists of nve tri- 

 lobed leaves attached to the middle of the 

 gynostegium, which is included ; while the 

 anthers are simple and without a mem- 

 brane, and the pollen masses roundish, 

 and capped by a pellucid margin, at the 

 hase of which the two masses are attached 

 to a slender corpuscle by two short pro- 

 cesses. The two follicles are long and 

 slender with numerous comose seeds. 

 The roots are edible, those of some species 

 heincr much esteemed as a preserve by the 

 Dutch inhabitants of S. Africa. [W. C] 



BRACKEN or BRAKE. A common 

 English name of Pteris aquilina. 



BRACTE.E or BRACTS. The leaves 

 placed immediately below a calyx, if they 

 are at all altered from their usual form. 



BRACTE ATE. Having bracts. 



BRACTEOL.E,BRACTEOLES or BRACT- 

 LETS. Bracts of a second order, usually 

 smaller and more changed than the true 

 bracts ; also any small bracts. 



BRADBTJRIA. The name given to a 

 Texan herb which belongs to the compo- 

 site family. It is an annual plant with 

 slender straight stems about three feet 

 high, and altogether sparingly covered 

 with hairs, which gives rise to the specific 

 name Mrtella. The leaves are numerous, 

 linear, very narrow, and about an inch long; 

 the flowerheads solitary at the ends of the 

 branches, and the florets yellow. The 

 genus bears the name of Mr. J. Bradbury, 

 who travelled in America in 1809, and 

 published some interesting notes on the 

 botany of the Missouri country. [A A. B.] 



BRAGANTIA. A genus of Arlstolo- 

 chiaeece, consisting of undershrubs with 

 decumbent wavy branches, thick leaves 

 with prominent nerves, a regular flower 

 with a thread-shaped calyx-tube adherent 

 to the ovary, and a bell-shaped three-cleft 

 limb ; stamens six or nine, inserted on a 

 shallow disc, surrounding the upper part 

 of the ovary, and adherent to the base of 

 the four connate styles ; capsule pod-like, 

 quadrangular, four-celled, four-valved, 

 many-seeded. These plants are also re- 

 markable for the structure of their wood, 

 which differs considerably from the ordi- 

 nary wood of Exopens. They are natives 

 of the tropical parts of Asia, and possess 

 in some decree the properties of the Aris- 

 tolochias. B. tomentosa is very bitter, and, 



according to Dr. Horsfield, is used medi- 

 cinally in Java. Major Drury in his work 

 on the useful plants of India, says that the 

 natives of the western coasts of India use 

 the leaves and roots of B. Wallichii rubbed 

 up with lime juice, as a cure for snake 

 bites ; the whole plant mixed with oil in 

 the form of an ointment is used in the 

 treatment of inveterate ulcers. It used to 

 be considered as an antidote to poison. A 

 Malabar proverb says, as soon as the Alpam 

 root, that is the root of this species, enters 

 the body, poison leaves it. [M. T. M.] 



BRAHEA. Certain fan-leaA r ed palms, 

 inhabiting Peru, the Andes, &c, have been 

 collected by Martius into a genus with the 

 above name. They are trees of moderate 

 height, with fan-like leaves and spiny 

 leafstalks ; flowers hermaphrodite, green- 

 ish, with a calyx of three sepals over- 

 lapping at the margins; six stamens, 

 connate in a sort of cup around the base of 

 the ovary. [M. T. M.] 



BRAHMIN'S BEADS. An Indian name 

 for the corrugated seeds of Elceocarpus, 

 which are used by the Brahmins, and also 

 made into necklaces, &c. 



BRAINEA. A genus of polypodiaceous 

 ferns, now included in the group Hemioni- 

 tidece, in which it is distinguished by its 

 Xirimary veins anastomosing in an arcuate 

 manner, so as to form a series of areoles 

 next the costa, while the venules, which ai*e 

 parallel and oblique, are quite distinct to 

 their apices. It has naked or non-indu- 

 siate sori continuous along the course of 

 the transverse curved veins which unite 

 to form the costal areoles, and often 

 extended more or less along the parallel 

 oblique free venules, becoming at length 

 irregularly confluent. 



B. insignis is the only species known. 

 This is a native of Hong Kong, and forms 

 a very handsome dwarf tree fern with a 

 stem of three to four feet in height. The 

 fronds are three feet long or more, pinnate, 

 the pinnas sometimes becoming pinnati- 

 fld; they are rigid and subcoriaceous' in 

 texture, and serrated along the margin. It 

 is a very elegant and interesting plant. 

 The genus has some points of resemblance 

 to Sadleria, a genus of Lomariece, but 

 differs in having naked instead of indu- 

 siate sori, and in some other particulars. 

 "We had formerly regarded it as presenting 

 a connecting link between the Menisciece 

 and the Lomariece, through the Woodwar- 

 diece, and had placed it in the former group 

 in consequence of its short transverse 

 naked sori: but now that more perfect 

 specimens in the fresh state have been 

 examined, we are quite ready to adopt the 

 suggestion of Sir W. J. Hooker, that it 

 may be referred to the Remionitidece, the 

 sori not proving to be short and lunate, but 

 continuous along the arcuate veins. It is, 

 however; even here, somewhat anomalous, 

 the fructifications being merely branched 

 and not truly reticulated. ' We have here,' 

 Sir W. J. Hooker observes, ' a very remark- 

 able, and, if I may so say, a new form 



